In a bitter political duel over new anti-terror legislation, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday that he would make no further concessions to opposition demands for milder laws to control terrorist suspects.
The dispute provoked a heated showdown in Parliament between Blair and Michael Howard, leader of the opposition Conservatives, with each man accusing the other of seeking political gain by appearing tough on terrorism in advance of elections expected in May.
The debate has a more immediate impact, however, as parts of the current anti-terror laws expire next Monday. Home Secretary Charles Clarke warned that without new laws, 11 foreigners being held without trial or charge at Belmarsh Prison in London would be freed. The men reportedly include Abu Qatada, a Syrian Muslim cleric accused of acting as a spiritual mentor to Mohamed Atta, one of the Sept. 11 hijackers.
The men were detained under anti-terror laws written after the Sept. 11 attacks. But, last December, Britain's highest court ruled that the indefinite detention of the men violated European human rights conventions.
At the core of the argument is the degree to which Britain's effort to thwart terrorists justifies the suspension of centuries-old liberties.
Blair has been seeking Parliament's approval for a law that would permit the home secretary to issue so-called control orders to restrict the movement of terror suspects through measures including house arrest.
Following debates in the House of Lords this week, the Blair government has offered concessions, notably provisions for judges to be consulted on the use of control orders and for the legislation to be reviewed each year.
But the House of Lords went further, voting in favor of opposition demands for a deadline to replace the law by November and for stricter criteria for control orders to be issued only in cases where there was a "balance of probability" that a suspect was a terrorist.
The government wants a lower standard, "grounds for suspicion."
The votes were particularly embarrassing for Blair as 24 peers from his Labor Party vote against the party's wishes. They included the former lord chancellor, Lord Irvine, widely known as the prime minister's erstwhile mentor.
"We have made concessions we think are reasonable," Blair said Wednesday. "I hope that satisfies people."
Senior police officers have said in recent days that hundreds of potential terrorists are in Britain, and some antiterrorism expects have expressed fear of an attack ahead of the coming British election, as happened in Madrid last March 11, three days before Spain's election.
"Should any terrorist act occur, there will not be a debate about civil liberties," Blair said Wednesday. Saying the police and security services have urged him not to dilute the proposal, he said: "There would be debate about the advice the government received and whether they followed it. I've got the advice, I intend to follow it," he said.
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